Streams of neon blue, seafoam green, and gummy red shot through the windows. Outside, the music could be heard. It sounded with the intensity of a drum orchestra, rich and powerful, and it had the speed of gazelles leaping across fields of everlasting gold. In contrast to the Halloween night, the school was an absolute beacon on an otherwise dark map.

More than ever, No Clue wanted to enter.

After giving his mom a hasty goodbye kiss (“Bye, son!” she shouted after him. “Have fun!”) No Clue bounded up the sidewalk and into the school grounds. Other cars passed him by, and he saw other students pile on out. One was familiar; he walked over with a smile.

“Brutos!” he greeted.

The tall boy looked up and nodded, his smile faint. Wearing an evergreen tuxedo, he looked quite sharp, and for a moment Clue thought himself inadequate in comparison. “Looks like we’ve arrived at the same time,” he said.

Clue nodded. “Blueblood texted me. He’s already inside with Blossomforth.” They both turned to look at the building once again. “Though I don’t think they’re dancing quite yet.”

“They’re pretty good, don’t you think?” Brutos asked as they walked up the steps.

“Who?”

“The Rainbooms. Our school’s signature band. Pretty much our only band, at this point, though you don’t hear many complaining.”

No Clue listened again. Not much for rock nor much against it, he could only dumbly nod his head. At least it sounded like it was playing well.

“Why’s it named the Rainbooms?” he thought to ask.

At that, Brutos smirked. “Well, it’s named after their main guitarist and vocalist. You may have heard of her. Rainbow Dash?”

Yep, that certainly did sound like her. Clue smiled a little. If the band was as good as their namesake… well, then he had some high hopes at the very least.

They went up the steps and through the stairs and saw before them a fairly long line. A lot of the people there recognized the pair and were quick to greet them. No Clue and Brutos exchanged their own greetings, and the former was eager to ask how the dance was going so far.

“Pretty good,” said one of the students there. “No incidents yet.”

“Incidents?”

“Every time we’ve had some sort of dance or competition,” explained the tall boy beside him, “it seems something… weird would go down. First Sunset Shimmer tried to take over, then the Sirens.” He smirked. “I half-expect the Friendship Games to hold some magical catastrophe at some point.”

“Don’t say that!” hissed another girl, about a year younger than Clue. “You’ll jinx it!”

“I’d say it’s already jinxed,” said her date. “Ow! What was that for?”

She recoiled her arm, fist still clenched. “Don’t get smart with me, Jay!”

The line continued moving. Soon, Clue and Brutos were up front. The greeter—Miss Raven—signed them in, and then let them pass. Surprised at the ease at which they were allowed in, Clue barely stopped to look at what the school had become, with all of the decorations that the PPC had set up and all of the walls and ceilings highly decorated.

Excited as they were, they walked at a brisk pace down the hallway. The music grew louder, louder; and then, just as they rounded the corner and were about to enter the gym, it stopped.

Clue skidded to a halt. “Oh, no… did we miss it?”

“I think they just finished the first song,” Brutos said, pointing through the doors. “But we did miss something.”

Clue peeked around him, and his jaw fell to the floor.

He’d heard stories about this, but seeing it up close was a different matter altogether. The seven girls who had once stood on center stage floated above it. A giant and wide beam of energy raced between them and down, flashing in multiple colors. Wings sprouted from Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Sunset Shimmer; the others, while devoid of wings, had their hair elongated to the point where they touched down at their heels. Their instruments somehow managed to float alongside them, and each sparked and crackled with what could only be described as “magic.” No other word in Clue’s vocabulary could suffice.

“Better pick up that mouth of yours before you trip on it,” Brutos said with a chuckle.

He closed his mouth and swallowed hard. “Brutos? I’m not seeing things, am I?”

“Nope, you’re definitely not. Say hello to Canterlot High’s biggest secret.”

The girls gradually floated down, but the wings and longer hair remained. They all did grand, less-than-modest bow; the crowd, in response, broke into applause and whistles.

“Amazed, I take it?” a familiar, smug voice called from their side.

There stood the ever arrogant, ever cunning, and ever knowing Blueblood. Dressed in a seamless, creamy-white suit with black insides and a rose tucked in the front pocket, he, compared to the more (No Clue had to borrow some of the other boy’s vocabulary) common peasants, stood out like a candle in the darkness. At the very least, he did not seem particularly wanting to exalt himself above everyone else, if that smile, normally thin and refined, now wide and enjoyable, was any indication.

They walked over. “Uh, I mean,” Clue said, “yeah, uh… wow. Just… wow.”

Blueblood nodded. “I expected you would be.” He gazed back at the stage; he didn’t seem bitter or judgmental. “I remember the first time I saw that. It was at the Fall Formal, actually, that these transformations—and others of that sort—really began. Just like you, I was transfixed by it. Utterly transfixed.”

He looked back. “To think that our school is privy to a concept colloquially called ‘magic.’ Perhaps we are the lucky ones indeed. We’ll have to thank that Twilight girl for this.”

No Clue was about to ask who, but thought better of it. “How long have you been here?” he asked.

“Not too long, in all honesty. About ten minutes or so. I arrived with Blossomforth, actually, along with Aurora.”

“Where are they now?” Brutos asked.

Blueblood pointed to the other side of the gym. “Getting some punch, if I’m not mistaken.” He cast a knowing look at the two, a shark’s grin crossing his lips. “You ought to stick around for a bit before you go dancing.”

Unsure why Blueblood had looked at him in that way, No Clue nodded. “Uh, okay, sure.”

He searched the other side of the gym where all the food was, but he couldn’t see either of the girls. Granted, he doubted he’d recognize Blossomforth immediately, but a part of him thought he’d be able to tell where Aurora Veil was based on hair color alone. Not many people in the school had that kind of pink hair, surprisingly, and he wasn’t counting the girl on the stage as part of that group.

No trace showed up, as another swarm of students entered and blocked his view. He turned back to Blueblood.

“Hey, awesome!” Rainbow’s scratchy voice rang out. “More people! You guys want to hear another song?”

No Clue, along with the rest of the audience, replied with resounding cheers. “All right, you asked for it! This one’s even better than the last!”

Once they began to play, the ground vibrated under the intense and rapid music. No Clue almost tapped his foot along, but he was still caught up in the on-stage display. More beams and streams and arcs—any shape imaginable—appeared, circling around the group like arcane halos. The explanation that this was magic—no, that this was common magic—did nothing to make it any less enthralling. He heard Blueblood and Brutos chuckle at his expense; he ignored them.

Some sweat gathered on his brow. Here he was, at a school, about to dance with a literally magical girl. He didn’t need to be a romance expert to know he was absolutely out of his league. A childish thought came to him; maybe he could use some of that magic himself? But how? He hadn’t an instrument to conduct it and, as far as he could tell, that was the only way the magic would form. His hands shook, as did his legs. Partial panic fought with partial exhilaration.

It’s a dance, it’s a dance, it’s a dance, like any other…

He felt a hand land on his shoulder. Turning, he saw that it was Blueblood. The other boy provided a surprisingly gracious and understanding smile. “Don’t worry so much, my friend,” he said, “or else you’ll miss out on the moment.”

Swallowing his fear, Clue nodded in response. Okay, maybe Blueblood can keep me centered.

There was movement coming from the other side of the gum. The crowd before them dispersed and split like waves, while two people swam through them holding plastic cups of a tangy liquid. Clue recognized Blossomforth immediately. Her pink-and-green hair had been braided, and she resembled an ancient goddess with her white gown and golden earrings. Beside her was Aurora, wearing a stunning navy dress that complemented her rouge-pink hair.

She… actually looks kind of cute. Clue blinked, then blushed. He hadn’t said that out loud, had he? Did Blueblood notice? Where had that come from? Oh, crap, did he actually think that?

Blossomforth actually gave him a concerned look, before turning to Blueblood. “What’s with Clue?” she asked as she handed over the punch drink.

The rich boy took the cup and drank a little. “You could say he’s a little overwhelmed by, well, everything,” he said. He winked knowingly. “And I do mean everything.”

Aurora’s face was downcast. Even as he fought his own blush into submission, he could tell that one was rising on her face. She barely peeked at him, muttered something incomprehensible and quiet, and gave him one of the cups in her hands.

“Uh…” He cleared his throat. “I mean, thanks, Aurora. Um… you look good tonight.”

“R-really?” Her head perked up. The blush had transcended the realm of red; now it was like someone had applied a hot rod to her face.

“Y-yeah,” he said, nodding. “I like your dress. Seems to suit you.”

“Th-thank you,” she stuttered. “I wore it for you…”

He coughed. “Um, what?”

She gave him a wide-eyed, panicky look, one that he didn’t quite understand, before scampering over to Blueblood and hiding behind him. The other boy rolled his eyes but said nothing about it, while Blossomforth and Brutos chuckled lightly.

Clue rubbed the back of his head, drink in hand. He took a sip. It was sweet to taste.

“By the way, Brutos,” Blossomforth said, “I can’t help but notice that you’ve no date with you tonight. Do you need help finding one?”

The question was asked with a light giggle, to which Blueblood snickered and Brutos groaned. “That again… did it occur to any of you that I’m not interested in just hooking up with anyone?”

“Even for a dance as incredible as this?” Blossomforth asked. “I’d say you’re missing out, big guy.”

The “big guy” glowered. “Look, I’ll probably just dance with anyone who comes our way. Nothing wrong with that.”

The girl shrugged. “I guess not. Still… if you need some pointers, I’d be willing to help.”

Aurora shifted behind Blueblood. He looked back, raising an eyebrow, before nodding. He leaned down and whispered something that Clue couldn’t hear. It seemed to calm his cousin down just enough.

The cousin and the boy with the strange name locked eyes; the former sharply turned away into Blueblood’s sleeve, while the latter remained just as confused as to the reason behind her behavior. He attempted to search Blueblood in silence for answers, but the other boy did not yield to his questioning stare. If anything, his smirk only agonizingly grew.

“Hey, hey, you’ve all been a great audience! Really enthusiastic and everything! You know, this reminds me of something that happened some time ago. About a few months ago, actually. See, my team, the Wondercolts, were losing the football game by nearly twenty-one points! It looked like we were never gonna catch up and even the score, but luckily—”

“Rainbow! This ain’t the time for speech-making or reminiscing.”

“Oh, right! Sorry about that. Anyway, I’d like to turn the speakers back over to Vinyl Scratch once more. Vinyl?”

“Sure thing, Dash. Hey, people! While the band rests their fingers and voices for a bit, song requests are now open! Come up here and let me know what track you want me to play!”

There was a flurry of movement as a good number of students swam through the crowd and up to the acclaimed DJ herself. Excited voices rang out. Some remained at the tables and sides, but it was clear they were talking about the music that had been playing. Their expressions were clear; they had loved the band.

The band itself, now, took itself off of the stage. Their wings and long-hair had vanished. The specks of magic, though, continued to fade in and out of existence, dancing off of their instruments even as they packed them up, casting a “shield” of dust around their side of the stage. In a way, this shield was like a spotlight that shone on them.

Watching the girls and the dust filled No Clue with a feeling of exhilaration, but also with a sense of dread. Could he do this? Sure, Rainbow had asked him, but could he man up and go up there and follow through with the request? He was just some ordinary guy, the new kid; she was one of the most popular girls in the school. There was no way he’d have a chance to—

“Cold feet?”

Brutos’s voice sounded like a reverberating, deep drum that shook him from the cobwebs of his thoughts. Jittery, he almost spilled his drink on Blossomforth, to whom he quickly apologized through nervous stutters. She simply laughed at his plight. “Come on, Clue,” she said, “go get ‘em!”

“Get what, though?” he moaned. “I… I don’t know if I can do this! I—”

Blueblood loudly coughed. “Clue. You’re just going to request a music track for now. Dancing comes later.”

“Ah, right.”

“Have you an idea for a song, then?”

Clue whispered it in Blueblood’s ear. The rich boy gave an approving nod. “Mmm. Not bad. Better hurry, then, before the line grows any longer.”

He eyed the line with a worried frown. It was getting long. He could just barely see the blue fringes of the DJ’s signature hairdo. He placed the fruit punch onto the table next to him.

“Can’t I wait?” he asked weakly to no one in particular.

Brutos and Blueblood immediately got behind Clue and pushed him into the line. Before he could protest—much less think about running back—more people showed up behind him, blocking the way. Whatever frustration he felt boiled away into a misty sense of anticipation. He couldn’t see either boy, but somehow he knew they were smirking all the while.

Gee, thanks, friends.

In time, the line shrank, and soon he was at the front, behind one last person. His mind went blank. He tried to recall the song he had wanted; what was it? It couldn’t be cheesy; she wouldn’t like that. It had to be… fun? Rambunctious? Maybe classical? No, she probably would like something rock-n’-rolling. Did he know how to dance to that, though? No, he didn’t. Well, couldn’t he just figure it out along the way? He supposed he could. But then again—

“Next up! Hey, you’re that new kid, aren’t ya?!”

Why everyone constantly interrupted his thoughts was a mystery—one that he didn’t have time to go over. Clue nodded. “Uh, yeah, that’s me.”

Vinyl’s special swirly-goggles blocked her eyes, but somehow he could tell she winked. “What’s the matter, dude? Nervous?”

“Uh… a little.”

“Why? Aren’t you having fun?”

“I am! I mean, I am.” He chanced a look behind, but could not see his friends. “It’s just… you know, dances and… stuff.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Okay? That doesn’t really explain anything.”

Clue sighed. “No, it doesn’t, huh?” Several song titles raced through his mind, but he couldn’t remember which one he had wanted. They all could work; but he didn’t know if they would.

“You gonna tell me what you wanna hear? Or ya gonna hold up the rest of the line?”

His mouth fumbled for words that he could not bring himself to speak. She stared at him for a little bit—then, a smirk grew on her face. “Oh. Oooh. Oh, wait. I get it. Got someone special in mind, d’ya?”

Face shooting bright-red, Clue tried to shake his head.

“Oh, don’t look so embarrassed, dude. Everyone wants to lock lips with that certain someone eventually.” She let her glasses slip a bit, revealing magenta eyes. She winked. “Tell ya what. I’m not much of a classical dancer, but I have a feeling that there’s a lot more people who’d like some slow music to dance to sometime later. My friend, Tavi, lent me this pretty cool track, even if it’s a little stuffy for my tastes. Instead of having you make the decision, I’ll just play it; how’s that sound?”

“Er, ah, yes!” He paused. “I mean, yes,” he said, a little less loudly. “That would be… good. Yeah. Um…”

“No problem, compañero. Just say thanks.”

“Uh… thanks.”

She gave him a thumbs-up. After a moment, he realized that his time was up, so he left the line, allowing the others to put in their requests.

He made his way back to the group. They all (save for Aurora, who hid still behind Blueblood) wore teasing smiles. Before any of them could speak, he grabbed his drink and downed it all. He wasn’t even that much of a fruit punch fan to begin with.

“Attaboy, Clue,” Blueblood said. “The first step has been complete!”

“Felt like the hardest step,” he mumbled, glumly staring at his empty cup. His throat, previously quenched, now felt dry again.

“Um, I’ll go get you another!” Aurora deftly stole the cup out of his hand and dashed over to the punch table. He looked at his now empty hand, then at the distant Aurora, and then back to the others.

Brutos rolled his eyes. “Well, don’t let up now. The hardest part is going to be the actual dance.”

He grunted as Blossomforth punched him in the shoulder. “Way to motivate the poor guy, you brute.”

“I’m just being realistic—”

“Crude as his point may be,” Blueblood interrupted, “Brutos still makes a valid argument. No doubt you’re still nervous.”

“No, really?”

“You’ll be fine, Clue.” He brought a finger to his chin. “What’s that old saying? ‘Be yourself?’ I suggest you follow that sound advice.”

If being myself means being a mockery of… no! I shouldn’t think like that!

He gulped. “W-well, on the bright side, that won’t happen until much later. So I’ve some time to prepare.”

Blueblood nodded. “I suppose you do.” He smiled. “Perhaps a little practice wouldn’t hurt?”

“Huh? Practice? With who, Blossomforth?”

Aurora came back with two cups; she’d apparently finished hers and had gotten herself another. While Clue’s eyes remained trained on her cousin, the others’ had theirs set on her. She frowned.

“What?”

“Since you lost Dance Dance Revolution against me,” Blueblood said as he propped Aurora’s quivering left arm on Clue’s shoulder, “consider this a chance to practice further!”

Clue and Brutos stared at the boy; the latter was the first to speak. “You play DDR?”

“Of course. It is very good for the legs. Highly aerobic. You should try it; maybe it’ll help in football.”

He turned back to the two. “Now, I know that the music isn’t quite so fitting, but this’ll do you both some good.”

“Um, okay,” Clue said. “But isn’t it a little late for this?”

“Better late than never,” Blossomforth said. “Hold on a second. Clue, you have to bring your arm around more.”

“I already have it at her hip!”

“You need to have your hand pressed against her back.”

“All right, fine… how’s this?”

Hand now against Aurora’s navy dress, he looked at Blossomforth for approval. Instead, he got Blueblood’s, in the form of clapping. “Wonderful! You’re not as hopeless as I thought you were!”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Don’t tease him, Blue,” Aurora murmured. She was doing her best not to look at Clue at all. Her face was an incredibly heated red. He was afraid her head might pop.

“Of course, cousin mine,” Blueblood said. “Now, do you two remember the steps?”

They both nodded.

“Of course you do. Well, go on, then!”

“Blueblood,” Clue said, “we don’t have the music.”

“You don’t need the music.”

“We need the beat, at least! Something like that—”

The vibrations from the stage interrupted his voice. It was hard to be heard over it, and even harder to hear Blueblood’s frustrated words. “Look, just, imagine it in your head! You can do it; it’s such a simple tune!”

Clue gulped. He had forgotten how commanding (and pushy) Blueblood could be when his patience wore thin. Desperately, so as not to incur his wrath, he tried to think of an easy beat.

He hadn’t been to too many dances before, and not many had had slow dancing music, so he didn’t need to search for long for one. It was something from a wedding where he had been the ring bearer. Somehow it had stuck in his head ever since. He could feel the music in his head race down his limbs. It was like being gently ushered by a singing wind that only he could hear. Looking at Aurora, though, it seemed like she had something similar in mind.

“Got it?” Blueblood asked; then, before either could answer, he added, “Then get going!”

They began to dance.

With each step, the floor shook; but it wasn’t because of them, but because of Vinyl’s playing. It became harder and harder to concentrate on that inner music that should have been guiding them. Their rhythm faltered. Visibly confused and uncertain, they stopped after only a few steps.

Clue explained the predicament to the others. “Maybe we could get some earplugs,” suggested Brutos. “Though, I wouldn’t know anyone who’d bring any.”

“No, we shouldn’t do that,” Blueblood said. “They need to be able to hear their breathing. It’ll keep the rhythm.”

Blossomforth cupped her chin. “Maybe…”

“Hmm? Got something, Blossom?”

“Actually, I just might.”

She stepped forward and—far harder than she should have—grabbed No Clue’s head and twisted it so that it faced Aurora’s. “Okay. Here’s what you two need to do,” she said. “Don’t focus on anything else but each other. Let everything else fade away. Concentrate on ‘hearing’ each other’s hearts, ‘feeling’ the other’s rhythm, and match it.”

“But—”

“No buts, Aurora Veil,” Blueblood said, smiling wickedly. “Trust me. You’ll be thanking me by the end of this ordeal.”

Blossomforth then looked back at No Clue. “Ready?”

He swallowed any protests he had, and nodded. “Y-yeah.”

“All right. Let’s try this again, you two.”

Clue remembered the tune and, with the slight prompt of his foot, they began once again to dance.

This time, the music came clearly. The notes didn’t falter nor fade; it was like it had been seared into his mind, engraved in stone, neatly prepared for this very moment. As Clue looked into Aurora’s eyes, the music became louder and louder, until he couldn’t hear even the jerking thumps from Vinyl’s music. Aurora’s eyes were a sapphire-blue sea that contrasted her rosy cheeks; but, with each beat and each slow, methodical step, that rosiness began to fade.

They settled into a comfortable rhythm. Step, touch. Step, touch. Each step-touch combo brought them to one side; then the top; then the other side; then the bottom. Soon they had made a circular path. They managed not to trip over each other despite not being able to look down; even if they were able to, there was nothing that would pull them from the other’s gaze. Step, touch. Step, touch. One set complete.

Clue decided to take a chance and raised Aurora’s hand. She understood immediately. He brought her arm up; she stepped under; and spun, before their hands found the other’s hip and their slow dance resumed.

He was vaguely aware of someone gasping; in the beautiful opera that played in his mind, he couldn’t distinguish if it came from Blueblood, Brutos, or Blossomforth.

Aurora blinked. Her eyelids drooped ever slightly, like she was falling into a dream. A cute smile grew on her face, one that Clue found himself mirroring. He was enjoying himself more than he thought he would. This was how he pictured it; dancing with someone he enjoyed being with, with her purple hair and bespectacled eyes and—

He paused. He was supposed to be thinking of Rainbow, not Aurora. But he didn’t feel bad thinking this way.

“—ey, hey! You two!”

With the pace of a sloth, Clue became aware that they had stopped dancing. He blinked, finding himself face-to-face with—and alarmingly close to—Aurora Veil. The voice came from Blossomforth; her fingers were next to his face, snapping furiously.

“You two okay? You sort of zoned out there,” she said.

“Um… yeah. We’re… well, I’m fine. Uh, are you fine, Aurora?”

“H-huh? Uh… I mean, yeah! Yeah, I’m… I’m fine.”

They awkwardly separated. It took longer than it should have. Without Aurora’s hand on his shoulder and hip, those areas suddenly felt alarmingly cold. The girl herself gripped her own shoulder like she was missing something. She caught his gaze, gasped, and looked away. She seemed embarrassed.

“So, uh… how were we?” Clue weakly asked.

Blossomforth let out a gasp, covering her mouth with her hand. “You two were absolutely incredible! It was like you were made for each other!”

Blueblood’s date’s eyes twinkled. “You just danced so fluidly, like you knew how the other would move beforehand! Blueblood, you said Aurora couldn’t beat you in DDR? With those moves, that’s hard to believe!”

He harrumphed. “I admit; you two performed spectacularly. Almost like professionals, give or take a few years’ difference.”

Clue rubbed the back of his head. “Gee, really?” He looked back at Aurora. “I mean… I guess we were pretty good, despite being first-time dance partners. What do you think, Aurora?”

She surprisingly raised her head. “I… I think we were pretty good, too, Clue.” She offered a tiny smile.

Blueblood clapped his hands. “Splendid! Seems I don’t have to teach you everything from the ground up, after all. Less work to soil my hands with.”

“Wow, Blueblood. Your praise is staggering.”

Brutos was the only one who hadn’t said anything, so the boy turned to him and asked, “What about you, Brutos? What did you think?”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, his mouth covered by his hand, his eyes turned away from him. It seemed that he hadn’t heard him.

Clue raised an eyebrow. “Er, Brutos?”

“You were good, Clue,” he suddenly said. He still did not look at him. “Real good. You can trust me on that.”

Clue stopped, then smiled. “Yeah, I guess I can.”

Vinyl’s track ended, and a new one began. She suddenly lowered the volume. “Listen up, people,” she said into a microphone. “There are a few more tracks before tonight’s slow dance segment! So send in your song requests if you have any!”

At once, that cold steel spike drove itself through Clue’s stomach and impaled his very heart. A thousand memories and thoughts became a tornado in his mind. The world spun, twirled, danced sporadically, like some horrifically nauseating merry-go-round, and he thought he might fall—

But he didn’t.

He swallowed, hard. He turned away from the stage and faced his friends, forcing a terrified—but also terrific—smile. “No way out of this anymore, is there?” he asked.

Blueblood and Brutos both shook their heads. Aurora remained in a dream-state, while Blossomforth giggled.

“Of course there isn’t.” He took a deep breath. “Well… one more dance. One more dance until we find out—until I find out—well, if I find out anything.”

He grabbed his drink off the table and took a sip. It was still cold and refreshing.

Artifex’s drink was warm, but he drank it anyway. The punch table was a short distance away but he didn’t feel like walking over there and getting a new drink. Besides, the bowl was probably warm, too, what with all the people scooping out the drink and putting it in their cups. The bubbles burst against his tongue like splashes of flavor. He didn’t find the fizzy taste at all appealing, but he drank it anyway.

Standing at the sidelines near the stage with the others, he listened to the music play and watched the other students dance. Swift and Pinkie were among them, alongside Gaige and Flash—the latter of whom he’d been briefly and quickly introduced. Gaige’s face was red, though, just as much as Swift’s; perhaps it had something to do with their particular dates. The other couples and groups that danced along with them looked like they were having just as much fun, if not more.

He may not have understood what this dubstep music exactly was, but he knew it was kind of appealing. It helped that Treble was busy cheering on his girlfriend; his enthusiasm, while annoying at times, was contagious.

His gaze drifted. He took another sip and absentmindedly tapped his cane against the floor with a soft thud. There was still quite a queue line. It stretched from Vinyl’s setup to the double-doors to the gym. If he craned his head, he saw that the line split into people entering the gym and people becoming a part of the line. He saw at least one person with a list of tracks they wanted Vinyl to play. He wondered if they would even last the night.

“Not going to dance?”

That voice. It was smooth, and soft, yet teasing. He didn’t have to guess who it was. He shook his head. “I’m afraid not, Adagio.”

She sauntered up beside him, her own fruit punch drink in her hand. They both watched the line grow. “Why is that?” she asked.

In response, he swung his cane out. “This thing. Can’t dance with a bad leg, unfortunately.”

“Unfortunate is right. I’m sure Sonata would have loved to partner with you.”

They looked to the end of the line, where, right next to it, Lone and Sonata participated in a sort-of group dance session. Neither really looked like they knew what they were doing, but they had on smiles. Even Aria, who kept a close eye on her sister, managed a tiny grin.

Artifex grunted. “You think so?”

“Sure. The poor girl finds you an absolute delight.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” He said this while looking out of the corner of his eye, gauging her response.

She took a sip. “Take it as you will.” He nodded.

“It would be nice,” he admitted. “Sonata’s not a bad girl. A bit on the odd side, but then again, oddness is the norm around here.”

“Yes, I suppose it is. And besides, aren’t we all a bit odd?”

“I just watched six of my friends turn into anthropomorphic humans with wings and ‘manes.’ And I’m standing here next to an ex-Siren from another world, drinking fruit punch.” He looked at her pointedly. “I think ‘odd’ is fairly a weak word.”

She hummed, intrigued. “I suppose you’re right. Would peculiar suffice?”

“Mm. Not quite. Perturbed, perhaps?”

“Not all of us are weak in the mind, if that’s what you mean.”

“Then perhaps we ought to call ourselves simply weird.”

“A paradox?”

“Yes, Adagio, a paradox,” he said. “It seems fitting.”

She finished her drink and crumpled the cup, before tossing it into the trashcan behind her. “Yes, it does.”

The first song ended with a sudden drop. There was a pause of about ten seconds. Then the second song began with a sudden leap. Everyone’s movements resumed.

“You know,” Adagio mused. “I don’t think I would have minded it, either.”

“Hmm?” Artifex turned to her. “What do you mean?”

“I mean dancing. With you.” She winked at him. “I don’t think it would have been awful, regardless of your leg’s condition.”

He stared at her like she had three heads. Then he turned away, and his voice slipped from its stiff tone to a more vulnerable pitch. “Do you mean that?”

“Certainly.” She cupped her chin and tilted her head. “Though, it might be… simply weird.”

He found himself letting out a low chuckle—the first one of tonight, the first one in forever—and rolled his eyes. “Oh, ha, ha, Adagio. Real clever.”

“Mm. Thank you. I was waiting for a good time for some return wordplay.”

He looked back at her; her eyes softened. “But I do mean it,” she said. “Every bit of it. You, I think, would have been a thrilling dance partner. Something in your eyes tells me that.”

“Mm-hmm…” He rocked a little bit on his cane. “Well, I’m flattered that you think that, Dagi.” Rubbing the back of his head, he continued, “And if I could dance… well, you’d probably be high on my list of who I dance with first.”

That catty grin returned. “Glad to know I rank so highly, then.”

“Trust me, I’ve given this a ton of thought in the last thirteen seconds.”

They both laughed. It was a good laugh. It was the kind of laugh that flowed with his blood to his heart and to his head; the kind that made his limbs tingle; his eyes water; and his body cry out for more.

“If you’re done being unnecessarily eloquent in your description,” said Treble, “do you guys mind if I go hang out over there with my buddy Soul?”

Artifex was once again confused by what the boy said, but Adagio recovered faster. “You don’t need our permission,” she said.

“Thanks, not-quite-best-ex-Siren!”

Once he was gone (and once Adagio’s brief spike in anger had faded), it was just he and the former villain standing at their corner. The others had relocated to other places. But Artifex didn’t mind. Adagio’s company was pleasant all on its own. He hadn’t realized how much he missed their little back-and-forths.

Perhaps that was why, all alone with her, he felt strangely comfortable, like it was just natural.

He returned to that familiar line of description: it was “simply weird.”

But, as was the constant in his life, it was fitting.

He and Adagio suddenly turned to each other, and both smiled; somehow he knew they’d been thinking the same thing.

Adagio raised her cup and drank the rest of the juice. She looked back at him. “I’m gonna go get another drink. Want one?”

“The punch is probably warm,” he said.

“Maybe. But I could always use the company.”

“A highly convincing argument. Let’s go.”

They walked over to the punch table, around which several students crowded. Adagio took two paper cups. She dunked them into the punch bowl and brought them out, then handed one to Artifex.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise.”

The voice wasn’t Adagio’s, and she was equally surprised as he was to hear it. Turning, they saw a tall, blue-skinned woman in a slinky, black dress right next to them, holding her own cup.

“Vice Principal Luna,” Artifex greeted.

She nodded. “Hello, Artifex. And Adagio,” she added, nodding as well to the Siren. Adagio replied in an even tone. “I trust you are finding tonight’s commodities satisfactory?”

“They are,” Artifex said.

“Yes,” added Adagio. “It’s certainly a step above the previous dances.”

“Thank you. Sister will be most pleased.” She took a sip, but looked like she wanted to say more, so Artifex asked her what else was there to say. “It’s what I said before; this is a surprise.”

“What do you mean?”

“Seeing you here, Artifex.” She cast a level gaze at him. “Forgive me, but we had assumed you were not willing to come.”

He shrugged. “To be fair, I’m not much of a party person in the first place. But, well, one: the rules said I had to come, and two: I didn’t exactly have much else planned.”

Luna nodded again. “I see. And you are enjoying yourself?”

He briefly glanced back at Adagio, then back to Luna. “Surprisingly, yes.”

“Tis good to hear.” She took a sip.

“I’m sorry, Vice Principal Luna, but did you say ‘we?’”

“Yes, that is correct. Myself and—”

A man came up beside her, wearing a copper-brown vest and dark chinos. “Myself,” he finished. There was a grin on his face, but it fell back into a neutral frown once he saw them. He also had a drink in his hands, but it was already half-empty.

Artifex flinched. “Mr. Solil?”

“Indeed,” he said with a nod.

“What are you doing here?”

He raised the cup. “Drinking something uniquely sweet, of course.”

Artifex couldn’t help but smile. “Of course. But why are you here at the dance? Shouldn’t you be home resting or something?”

“Hmm. Wouldn’t that be a nice thought?” He tapped his chin and turned to Luna. “What do you think, Luna?”

She punched his shoulder, presumably playfully, but it looked a little painful. “I think that since you’re here now, you ought to appreciate it. That’s another Manehattan saying, isn’t it?”

“Appreciate the present when you have it. So you did remember.”

Their behavior was odd. These weren’t fellow workers in the workplace. They resembled friends; no, somehow closer than friends.

Adagio reached the conclusion a moment before he did. “You’re here together,” she said. “As a couple!”

Both of them ceased their little argument, and turned to her, mouths slightly open. Luna was the first to recover. A light tinge of red adorned her blue cheeks. “Y-yes, w-well, that is… you see—”

Mr. Solil coughed. “That is… correct, Adagio, though I wouldn’t quite put it like… that.”

“Our sister,” explained Luna, “said it would be a good idea. N-not going with Carter, I mean, Mr. Solil; I mean, staying for the dance. Plus, we can’t just let her alone; not when there’s cake to be found, eaten, and hidden in the mini fridge for a few days.”

Artifex sensed there was a story behind that.

Mr. Solil asked him a few more questions. How goes the quote project? Oh, it goes real good. Really? Found a quote, then? Several, actually. Working on the analysis part at the moment. (This was a lie; he hadn’t yet decided on a quote. Not that Mr. Solil had to know.) Yes, that seems to generally be where the rest of the class is. Quote project, asked Luna. What is that? Well, you see…

Mr. Solil explained it quickly. Luna and Adagio were both interested in the idea. “Perhaps,” mused the Vice Principal, “we could put up the best quotes on the front entrance’s bulletin board?”

The conversation drifted to more general things. How long they—Adagio and Artifex, and Mr. Solil and Luna—planned to stay, with both saying they’d be here until the night had ended. What they thought of the music; it had been good so far. The Rainbooms were excellent. Yes, definitely. Even Adagio agreed to that. This was fun; they ought to do it again next year, perhaps with an even larger audience. Yes, that was a good idea. No, Artifex wouldn’t mind another dance like this in his senior year.

But the conversation suddenly became more personal. Mr. Solil turned to Artifex, and his eyes flashed with a hidden pain and deep worry. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Me? I’m fine.”

“Are you all right?”

Artifex opened his mouth to speak, then stopped. It was the same question so many people had been asking. He looked at Mr. Solil, then at Luna, searching their eyes for any reason. All they told him was that they were worried. He glanced back at Adagio. Then he looked all around the gym, at the stage, at the girls, the guys, all of his friends.

He looked back at Mr. Solil, smiled a little, and said, “I’m getting better.”

He seemed satisfied—even relieved—at that. “That’s good to hear, Artifex. Good to hear.”

Artifex felt Adagio slip her hand around his and squeeze. He could already sense her smile. He squeezed her back reassuringly.

Eventually, Luna and Mr. Solil had to leave. They bid them both a good night and walked away. Once they were gone, Artifex looked around the room.

He recognized the boy before the boy recognized him. His heart jumped a beat.

He stood in a small group of people, one of whom Artifex recognized as Blossomforth. The other three, he assumed, were the boy’s friends. They looked only somewhat familiar. They looked like they were having their back turned, their smiles wide, their attention turned away from him.

There was movement as another group stopped in front, giving Artifex a moment to pause. He wasn’t sure what to think. They were there, yes, but that was it. That’s all there was. Yet suddenly, inexplicably, he was filled with a desire to go over there and talk. It was a deep and pulling urge, too; and it felt like he had to, like it was necessary.

He honestly couldn’t explain it, so strange it was.

The group split up, allowing him to see the boy again. Still his back was turned. He raised his head and drank; Artifex felt an urge to do the same.

He frowned. He was being weird. If he really wanted, he could go over there and indeed talk to the boy; but his legs failed to move. Another group passed by, obstructing the view. He craned his neck, trying to see over them, but found he couldn’t. The boy became a memory as more people arrived.

“Hmm. Zoned out again?”

Adagio’s voice was a comforting presence, and he stepped a bit closer out of instinct. “I suppose you could say that,” he said with a slight nod.

She frowned at him. “You saw something, didn’t you?” When he didn’t answer, she sighed. “Of course you did. Look. If you feel uncomfortable, I can at least help you outside—”

“No.”

“No?”

He shook his head. “No. Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.” He took a sip, not once breaking contact with the opposite wall. “I’ll have to face this eventually.”

She nodded. “I’m going to check up on my sisters. Don’t go anywhere.”

“I won’t.”

The crowd parted again. The boy had gone, but one of his friends had turned his head and saw Artifex standing there. The other boy frowned, put down his cup, and, in short, refined steps, approached. Artifex put down his cup and waited.

Vinyl’s track had ended. There was a moment of odd silence for everyone. Then, the unmistakable sound of a cello began to play through the speakers. People parted and left the center. Others joined and took to the middle with great gusto.

The beat and rhythm was eerily similar to what Clue had imagined in his head. Whoever this friend of Vinyl’s was, it was clear she had well-crafted tastes. It started with one string instrument, but gradually became two, then three, and then a whole quartet. Then a piano joined in, and the tune became upbeat, lively, yet still retained that graceful air and attitude.

His hands escaped into his pockets as he walked. He tried to reassure himself. All he had to do was ask, and then they’d dance, and then they’d be on their merry way. Well, if he was lucky, they’d be on their merry way, only to do this all over again. Besides, it wasn’t like she’d forgotten about this particular arrangement, right?

Right?

The thought sent nervous shivers all throughout his body. He began to push, desperate to get through the crowd, heading to where he had last seen the girl. He couldn’t lose this chance; he couldn’t; he wouldn’t.

Now or never, Clue. It’s now or never. Now or never—

He yelped as his foot caught on someone’s leg. Falling forward, he held up his hands, and was able to prevent his face from becoming mush. But in that split second, the crowd had parted, and when he looked up, he found not one, but three girls looking down at him. Their expressions were that of shock and surprise.

“Oh my gosh! Clue, are you okay?” Rainbow asked. She knelt down and helped him up while the others—he recognized them as Sunset and Pinkie—watched them.

He let out a groan, covered his mouth, and turned it into a sigh. “Y-yeah, I’m fine! Um… how are you?”

“You sure? That was almost a nasty fall. Man, you sure are a klutz!”

That stung a little, but he forced a smile. “H-hehe, yep, that’s me, all right.”

“What are you doing over here?” Sunset asked. “Weren’t you with your friends?”

“They’re over there.” He pointed behind him. “Doing, um… things…”

They gave him a weird look—save for Pinkie, who nodded, somehow understanding through the mess.

He cleared his throat. Don’t butcher this! “U-uh, a-anyway, uh, I, uh, that is… I mean…” He loudly coughed. “Geez, is it hot in here, or is it just me? Ehehehe… Sorry, that was a bad joke. Let me start over. U-uh, my name is N-No C-Clue—no, wait, you already know that. I, uh… ehehe. I’m not very good at this.”

Sunset offered a smile. “Hey, it’s okay. Just go at your own pace.”

He nodded and closed his eyes, and tried to speak slower. “… Rainbow.”

“Yeah?”

“Um… since this is, um, the slow dance section of tonight, and since you invited me to this dance in the first place… would you… um… like… to… dance…?”

He rubbed the back of his head, deeply embarrassed. Way to go, Casablanca.

Rainbow looked a bit red. “U-uh, sure. I mean, sure! Yeah. Let’s… let’s go do that.”

She gingerly took his hand. She turned her face away so that it hid behind her prismatic bangs. Clue looked over at the other girls. Sunset offered an encouraging, if slightly confused, nod, while Pinkie grinned from ear-to-ear and looked like she might explode for sheer excitement.

They walked away, and No Clue couldn’t help but think that that could have gone a little bit better.

The slow music was still playing, thankfully, and it looked like everyone was starting to settle in. He took his position some feet away from another couple, and looked to Rainbow expectantly.

“You okay?”

She was blushing heavily. “Um… I’m not really good at this.”

“That’s okay. I can teach you on the go!” I hope!

“Well… okay.” She came around and stood in front of him. He helped her position her arms in the right way. He told her to follow his beat, and she nodded, though she still looked deeply worried.

There was a pause, then the music started up again. The couples around them began to move. Clue and Rainbow tried to follow.

She stepped on his toes. She tugged too tightly on his clothes. He would have made a joke, but his face was heating up way too much to concentrate. They did a few steps in the right direction, then their rhythm faltered; Clue stepped a little too far, forcing Rainbow to speed up, and they almost collided with another couple. Somehow, they managed to keep up with everyone else, if a bit choppily. When the first set ended, both were out of breath.

“You really haven’t done this before?” he asked through his panting.

She shook her head. “No… I took lessons a long time ago, but I kind of forgot. And… um…” She looked away. “I almost forgot that you were here…”

He hesitated, then shook his head. “It’s okay. Um… w-we just need to practice a little bit, that’s all. Uh… here!”

He suddenly grabbed her and they fell back into position just as the second movement began. “Just follow my lead as best you can,” he whispered.

The knowledge that came from their previous mistakes helped them greatly. Their movements became rather fluid, and their steps became even. Soon they weren’t fumbling about; they were actually dancing. A slow and steady smile grew on Rainbow’s face.

But the movement was still stiff. Clue couldn’t get the connection; it was there, but very faint, and he found it hard to find and use. Their individual beats were just the slightest bit off. Yet he tried for a brave smile, pushing through, and for the most part, they almost synched up, even if Rainbow did step on his feet every once in a while—she muttered several apologies.

She was beautiful in her own way, tough in everything else. Similar to Aurora, in that sense. She moved with her own kind of grace, one that came from years of athleticism and finesse.

The music picked up its pace, becoming a swinging tune, and their pace picked up just the same. Now Clue no longer led; Rainbow did. She laughed and he laughed a little quieter and they swung and danced and jollily stepped over each other’s feet. The other couples joined in. They nearly tripped once or twice, but Rainbow kept going. Clue found he couldn’t quite keep up.

Then the swinging slowed back down to a step-touch beat, and Rainbow once again became a befuddled and frustrated mess. But they kept going, kept dancing. Clue tried for that connection once again, and thought he felt something, but it felt incomplete and alien to him.

His smile was about as forced-looking as it could get, even as his heart thumped and he was filled with energy.

“Hey, hey! Let’s give it up for our amazing couples!” Vinyl called once the music ended. “Now, while we give these folks a short rest, how about we see some new faces on the dance floor?”

They were out of breath. Clue had to lean over on his knees. Rainbow threw back some of her bangs. He came over, tried to make a comment, and failed, instead only able to let out tired breaths.

“We gotta get you into shape, Clue!” she exclaimed with a laugh.

Other couples came out, giving him a chance to breathe. “Y-yeah. That might be a good idea.”

Looking around, he saw that everyone else’s attention was on the couples in front of them. Effectively, he was alone in a crowd with Rainbow Dash. He gulped; this probably was his last and only chance to muster up the courage to say something. I’d better think this through; don’t want to risk getting tongue-tied—

“What’s the matter, dude? You look a little sick. You’re not gonna vomit on me, are ya?”

“Gah!” He jumped a little. “Rainbow!”

“What?”

He turned to her, intending to tell her off; but then his voice cut out. She stared at him through those magenta eyes. He felt trapped; cornered. Those eyes and that gaze held him in place like iron chains.

At least I can’t run away. Not from this. Now or never.

He gulped. “Hey, look, Rainbow.”

“Yeah?” she asked. “What is it?”

His throat felt dry, but he powered through it, trying to ignore the urge to lick his lips. “Um, did you, y’know… like what just happened just now?”

“You mean dancing? I mean, it’s not my cup of tea or anything.”

“Oh…”

“But I did like it. You’re not a bad dancer, Clue.”

She winked, and his heart nearly burst. He chuckled weakly. “Th-thanks.”

“Why’d you bring it up, though, man? Not feeling insecure or anything about your footwork, are ya?”

“O-oh! W-well, you see…”

Suddenly it seemed like his heart had leapt into his throat. He couldn’t talk. His mouth moved but no words came out. His eyes shrank into panicked pinpricks as Rainbow gazed at him worriedly. “Clue? You okay?”

“Y-yeah, it’s just… it’s just…”

“Dude. Come on. Just tell me what’s up.”

“I… I…”

He sighed; it came out long. “I… it’s hard to say, I guess.”

“Hey, man.” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “You can tell me. No one’s gonna hear in this loud of a crowd.”

Somehow that thought didn’t reassure him. His hands felt cold in his pockets.

But… she said he could tell him.

He suddenly heard Blueblood’s reassuring voice in the back of his head. Then he heard the stoic voice of Brutos, encouraging him. He couldn’t back down; not here, not now. This was his moment.

Swallowing so hard that his heart finally fell back into its proper position, he said, “O-Okay. Um… promise not to laugh?”

“Unless you tell a joke. I promise.”

He took his hands out of his pockets and nervously tapped the fingers together. “U-uh, s-so… the d-dance. This dance, I mean. Um… would… I mean—would… well, huh, how do I—”

He stopped and took a deep breath. Just get the words out, Clue.

“The dance…”

“Clue?”

“W-would…”

“Yeah?”

“W-would you… c-consider… doing it… a-again?”

He had clenched his eyes shut so tightly that it hurt, and he had spoken so softly that, for several moments, he thought he hadn’t been heard. Rainbow didn’t say anything. He was afraid of giving her even a curious glance.

He felt her hand slip from his shoulder. His eyes slowly opened. He blinked. “R-Rainbow?”

She still didn’t say anything. He took a deep breath and turned to face her.

Her blue cheeks had gone completely red. Her eyes had widened. Her lips trembled. She looked petrified, terrified, stupefied.

Then her voice came out in a whisper only he could hear: “Clue…”

He gulped.

“Did… did I hear you right?”

He could only nod.

“… You’re serious?”

“Yes.” He’d found his voice again. “I’m… really, really serious, Rainbow. I…” He looked away, clenched his fists so hard the knuckles turned white. “I’m not good with words… so I’ll try and make it brief and clear. I… I sorta have a… crush… on you.”

He sucked in a breath and continued before Rainbow could interrupt him. “A-and, I know that… that it’s pretty sudden, and that this isn’t really the best time or place to tell you all this, but I think it’s best that I get it over with as soon as I can and—and I’m rambling again, sorry, sorry!”

“You have a crush?” she asked. “On me?”

“Y-y-yeah. H-had one since the day we f-first met… sad, I know…”

“Why?”

His hands found themselves back in his pockets. “I just… I don’t know… I fell for you. Really hard. Maybe it was just because of the situation.”

“The situation?”

Here, his voice strengthened. “I was the new kid, in a new town, starting a new day! It was… daunting. I was afraid I’d mess up or something, get called out, get called weird. But then you showed up and you were really nice and it was super cool and you were super cool and I just… I couldn’t help it.”

He sighed, voice faltering. “I guess I’m saying that you were the first good thing to happen to me after I had started all over. And… things just happened. Things just rolled into place.”

Even as he said these words, a sense of hollowness began to grow, starting in his stomach and slowly widening.

He looked back at her. “I’m... I’m sorry for thrusting this all on you. I probably ruined your night and everything. I… I…”

“Clue.”

Her steady gaze stopped him. “Listen to me,” she said. “I don’t mind knowing that you had a crush on me. If anything, I’m flattered!” She offered a devilish grin. “And I can’t say I blame ya. I mean, look at me. I’m me.”

He laughed a little. “That you are.”

“And I don’t think it’s really weird that this happened. And, hey, at least you were cool about it, or at least as cool as you could manage. You didn’t try to do something spectacular, or try to impress me, or, I don’t know, hire a pilot to write in the sky for you or something. You just kept on going through the days. Even if… even if I didn’t see you for most of that time.”

Both of their smiles fell. “It is what it is,” he simply said.

“Yeah, I guess so.” She breathed in, breathed out. “Point is, No Clue, you’re nowhere in the wrong here. It takes guts to admit something as big as a crush to someone.”

“R-really? You think so?”

She vigorously nodded. “Of course! Besides, this isn’t the first time I’ve of this sort of thing happening. I mean, look who I hang out with. Soul took his sweet time telling Sunset how he felt, as did Clyde for Rarity. Don’t get me started on how long it took Swift! And Gaige and Flash? Pfft! They took seemingly forever!” She laughed. “So don’t worry, Clue. You haven’t ruined my night at all.”

She smiled at him. “You’re a good guy, Nostradamus Clue. You’ll make someone very happy one day.”

At first, the words warmed his heart. But as the sense of hollowness completely enveloped his body, they pierced it instead. “W-wait. I’ll ‘make someone very happy one day?’ D-does that mean…”

Her smile fell. She looked away. “Y-yeah… I’m really sorry, Clue. You’re a good guy. A good friend by all accounts. But…”

Now it was her turn to become tongue-tied, and for all the reasons that Clue feared. “I… don’t… see you in that way.”

His heart stopped. All he could manage to say was a defeated “Oh…”

Somehow, in all the shouting, the loud music, the cheers, and the dancing, an awkward silence fell between them. Neither knew what to say; neither knew if they even should say anything.

Then, slowly, the hollowness in Clue’s body began to recede. Feeling returned to his hands and legs. He felt a rush of warm relief wash through him like waters of healing.

He giggled. Then he chuckled. Then he chortled. Then he laughed, and he laughed, and he laughed until he was too tired to laugh, and it felt good and right. She didn’t join in, but she did tilt her head, and her nervous look was replaced with one of curiosity.

“S-sorry,” he said once his mirth had petered out. “It’s just… wow. Rainbow Dash thinks I’m a good guy!”

“Why are you laughing?”

“I don’t know.”

He paused, then said it again, excited. “I don’t know!”

“Clue?”

“I guess… I guess because it’s over. All that dread, that fear, that anticipation… it’s no longer there. It’s like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I don’t have to worry about… this… anymore.”

He positively beamed. “Just saying it, to you; saying that I have a crush on you… maybe that’s all I ever really needed or wanted. Just to let you know, even if it would ruin things between us.”

“Come on, Clue,” she chided. “Nothing like that is gonna ruin our friendship! You’d have to do some pretty serious stuff to do that! Not that,” she added with a smirk, “you look the type to cause trouble.”

“Ha! Is that a challenge?”

“It is if you want it to be!”

They both laughed, drawing a few odd looks from the surrounding students. Clue wiped a tear from his eye. “But… yeah. It’s just a relief knowing that it’s over.”

She looked at him. “But now that it’s over… how do you feel?”

“I feel good, Rainbow. I mean, sure, it kind of hurts… but it also kind of doesn’t. You know what I’m saying?”

“You know what? I think I actually do.”

They both smiled. They were good smiles. Wide and honest. The moment was joyous and happy—

—until it was broken by the gut-wrenching screeching of a broken man.

“My sister’s dead!”

It took Clue a good two seconds to figure out who that had been, even as all the other students around him stopped and tried to figure that out. He exchanged glances with Rainbow. He noted she looked absolutely worried.

“Was that Artifex?” he asked her.

“Yeah, I think so. Gosh, why’d he sound so angry?”

“I think it came from over there,” Clue said. “By the fruit punch table. Should we…?”

“We should. Come on.”

They walked over there. It was hard; a crowd had gathered, blocking the way. They had to push past several students, some a bit roughly than others. They had formed a circle around someone, and Clue at first couldn’t see who it was.

Once he could, he gasped. “Oh my God! Blueblood!”

The boy was on the floor, looking bewildered. His face was covered with blood that leaked out of his nose. He didn’t seem to be in pain; just in a state of shock. He looked up when he heard Clue’s voice.

He knelt down and pulled out a handkerchief from his suit’s pocket. “Here. Put this around your nose.”

Blueblood nodded gratefully. He pinched his nose and winced; now the pain began to set in.

Rainbow, despite her misgivings, did look concerned. “Geez, Blueblood. What happened? Who’d you piss off this time?”

The attempt at dry humor fell on deaf ears. Blueblood turned to her. His eyes were wide, and when he spoke, his voice sounded frail and afraid.

“I didn’t know… I’m sorry… I didn’t know…”

“What? Didn’t know what?” Clue asked.

“His sister… I didn’t know about his sister…”

Clue didn’t understand, but Rainbow obviously did. She gasped and shrank back. “N-No. You didn’t—”

“I didn’t know!” Blueblood exclaimed. “I swear to you, Rainbow, even I wouldn’t dare joke about something like this!”

“Hang on,” Clue said. “I’m still confused. What happened? What about a sister? What’s going on?”

Suddenly, he heard doors being slammed. He stood up quickly, and saw from behind the doors the unmistakable and furious silhouette of someone limping away. Something clicked; he had to do something, and he knew exactly what.

“Rainbow. Stay here and help Blueblood.”

“Huh? No, you should; you’re his friend—”

“Rainbow, please. I… I have to do this. I can’t explain it; I just have to.”

Nonetheless, he looked back at Blueblood, asking him a silent question. After a moment, the rich boy nodded.

“Go,” he said.

Clue nodded his thanks. He heard more people shuffling through the crowd; he recognized Sunset and Pinkie, and their faces were just as concerned as Rainbow’s. He left the girl there with Blueblood, and made his way to the double-doors. He threw them open and pursued the silhouette into the night.